Politics from a Baby Boomer

In March of this year, a Hard Crackers correspondent took a trip to New Hampshire to visit a friend. It was her first time being in a place that was majority white and she was interested to see the political perspectives of the people there. This following piece was written by an older white woman who was vehemently against Trump and who was very proud to be a Democrat. 

As soon as I was 18, in January of 1968, I registered to vote…Democratic.  Mind you, my dad was very much a Republican, but we disagreed on many things in the political world. Honestly, I couldn’t wait.  The Vietnam War was raging on, and the peace and love community I lived in had had enough. I was devoted to the Massachusetts Kennedy family and was clearly voting for Robert Kennedy.  Until someone shot him! Violence was also rampant back then from riots to marches, to assassinations.

It was very clear, a loud voice was emanating from the baby boomers. That voice came out in many forms, especially music. The music back then was just as powerful as the marches.  The young people of America were denigrated for not being American.

I lived in Malden, Massachusetts just 5 miles north of Boston. The city I lived in was a micro-culture of every kind of group, i.e., the Irish and Italians had their own part of town, as did the Jewish and Protestant communities.  Catholics and Blacks had their places, too. As a class of school age children, we all grew up together and had no social problems as large as the outer world (especially the southern USA). We watched in horror what was going on. My schools treated everyone fairly. The cheer leading teams in Junior High and High School had mixes of 2 blacks, 2 Jewish girls, 2 Catholics, 2 Protestants and any other group were added as needed.

So we all got along, so much so that my class still has mini-reunions every year. We just had a blowout of a time at our 50th Reunion.  But this is about politics of today and how has it come to this???  I thought we had become more civilized, more intelligent, more moral, more competent to run our government.  I cannot tell you how amazed I was that Donald Trump made it to the convention, let alone, the awful debates he had with Hillary. To see him win the electoral vote by the skin of his teeth absolutely crushed me. I cried all day.

Mind you, I am one of six, with 5 brothers who love Donald Trump. I am the oldest; I do have a college education and taught science for 27 years.  My brothers are skilled carpenters, artists, jewelers, musicians, animal caretakers who are all married to like individuals.  Love my sisters-in-laws!

I decided to watch the alternative news to figure out what the hell went wrong.  Basically, our President is an expert at lying so well that I believe he believes he’s telling the truth all the time.  He’s so convincing that the lies become truths to all those people who love him and are devoted to him, no matter what comes out of his mouth.  He is a racist, womanizer, bully, liar and uses nepotism as a way of life.  He follows no rules that do not fit in his way of thinking.  Oh yeah: Drain the Swamp! was his cry.

Now to me, after these almost 4 years, that must mean to drain the Constitution of all the laws we have followed for years. Why?  Because people are seeing our Congress and Senate getting lazy and profiting from taxpayers, with no regard to the very people they serve. They have given themselves raises, paid leaves and pensions for life, adding up to millions of taxpayers’ dollars.

I am sick and tired of hearing about entitlements. I started to work when I was 14. I paid taxes and Social Security taxes and even today I am only “entitled” to collect $355.00 a month. Add that to my teachers pension and I feel lucky.  Anyone else living on their Social Security is no doubt struggling.  Medicare and Medicaid need to be available to more people. WE, as Americans earned it. Paid it, watched it be fritted away for other things in our government. They are not ENTITLEMENTS; they are wages earned, deducted and saved by our government, just like a tax.

The Congress and Senate need to have term limits; it is time to wheel back their power. If I were to put a number on this I would give it 12 years, with elections every 3 years. In that way, it wouldn’t always fall on a presidential coattail.  This is why people voted for the Donald. He promised to make those changes, and to stop the many immigrants from taking over our towns, cities, and our language.  In the meantime, he continues to not show his taxes, because I believe he hasn’t paid any in a long time. Not to mention his connection to other world leaders, whom we feel are still our enemies.

The world has been watching America die a slow and painful death under his leadership. Although there are still some shining stars, true Americans who know the law, Constitution, and the right to speak to truth. The media needs to be digested with a little from all points of view. To me, the truth comes from our top newspapers, like the New York Timesand the Washington Post.  The best of media coverage, where they investigate the truth before putting it on in public with clear evidence, like the Rachel Maddox Show and all her companion newscasters on MSNBC.  CNN does a decent job, as do local channels from your own state. Fox News should be ashamed of themselves for pretending to bring in such lies that I know the Donald tells them to do. They make up conspiracy theories to fit the news.

My last thought on this entire mess we are in, now that we have a serious pandemic on our hands is–we are and have been heading for the most dangerous time in our history only to have a buffoon in the oval office. Our lives are in jeopardy every day he stays in office.  And yet they still believe him.   I truly love the United States of America.  My forefathers fought in every war. My families are true patriots who only want the best for our country. And yet they still believe him.  It is a discussion I cannot have with them because I love them so.  I am willing to bet many of you are in the same boat.  Good Luck!

Nancy E Brooks

Nashua NH